A Fun Trip to OMSI

Our friends Katie and Alex have passes to OMSI, so they invited me, Jace and Mary to come up to Portland and enjoy one of my first days as a stay-at-home-mom.

Alex and Jace thought this vacuums and balls room was really cool.

Katie helping Jace shoot a ball from a tube.

Jace and Mary.

Another room had all sorts of fun stations for the kids to play at. Jace LOVED the water tables…

…but he thought the water was for drinking. After I stopped him from treating it like a drinking fountain, he would scoop it with his hands and suck it off his fingers.

SO we went and played in a ball pit for a while instead.

Alex spent just about the whole time play in a squirrels exhibit, collecting nuts and putting them in a nest.

And posing in a giant tree.

Jace also thought the giant sandbox with big tractors was pretty great.

As we were getting ready to leave he noticed a big block station and went back and forth between it and…

…a giant steering wheel (it was attached to a propeller above him, but he never noticed that).

Heading back to the car and having fun jumping with Mary and Mommy.

Checking out the trains on the tracks by the parking lot.

He has officially mastered the cheesy smile for pictures.

Me and my dear friend Katie at McDonalds for ice cream before heading home.

Some December Life

I just couldn’t resist having some fun with Jace, the lights and my camera before decorating the tree…

Giving his precious Nowie a kiss.

Leading worship with the kinder-third graders on my last Sunday on staff at Morning Star.

Saying “Cheese!”

A Tree Hunting We Went

As has become our tradition, the day after Thanksgiving we headed out to breakfast and then went tree hunting.

For the second year in a row, Nolan’s parents joined us.

We go to one of the few tree farms in Albany, Volsteads, and LOVE the experience there.

You ride in a tractor pulled wagon out to the right tree lot for the size and type you’re looking for.

It’s fun because they take you past barns and fields of animals.

Then it’s a matter of heading out into the trees to find the perfect one.

And, of course, you have to check out the birds along the way.

Then hauling the tree back out to wait for the wagon to come by and pick you up.

We have yet to be rained on during our tree hunt and love it!

Back at the entrance to the farm, it’s fun to check out the model train and have some hot chocolate while waiting for the tree to be shaken and bailed.

What a perfect day for family pictures!

Jace thought the whole experience was really cool.

Fall Holidays

Before we get to the holidays, I have to show you one of Jace’s favorite things to do…

He loves to sit on our bottom step. One evening, he hadn’t made any noise for a little while, and I found him laying like this.

For Halloween I made Jace an Elmo costume. We had a movie night at church the Friday before, and the theme was super heroes, so I went as Super Grover and added a cape to Jace’s costume so he could be Super Elmo.

 

He was pretty proud of his costume.

Our first time trick or treating made him a little nervous. It didn’t help that he had shots that day and ended the evening with a fever.

Watching a movie with Daddy while Mommy handed out candy.

Our Muppet family.

Thanksgiving was at Jared and Rayanna’s with the Nelsons and Kneppers. Jace LOVED Aunt Rayanna’s dolly highchair from when she was little. This is a typical moment between Jace and Nowie, his kitty. He loves to chew on her face.

An attempt at a family photo.

Jace, Nowie and Daddy hanging out.

Pumpkin Patching

While my mom was in town, she, Anna and I thought it would be fun to go to the pumpkin patch. If only Jace had understood that a big chunk of the fun for mom is the picture taking…

Siah, Micah and Cami found a worm on the ground FASCINATING while Jace was just interested in being on the move.

Our best attempt at a group photo…

Jace was happy to walk through the corn maze with his “Na.”

Another attempt at a group photo… Jace didn’t think it was worth posing for.

At least these four were happy!

Another attempt, “These are my angry eyes.” (I heard Mrs. Potato Head from Toy Story’s voice as I wrote that.)

Jace thought pumpkins were pretty cool.

Let’s try this again.

A stop at E-Z Orchards meant a lot of fun with tractors!

Cousins!

If only he had legs long enough to pedal…